Silence is Golden
by elvenrarehunter
Summary: National Treasure Don't Say a Word xover. Ian escapes from jail with the help of his brother. Now they're after something only Ben, Riley, Nathan, and Aggie can supply. They're going to help whether they like it or not. R&R No flames plz
1. Prologue

_A/N: Yes, I know, I hear the groans all the way over here. ANOTHER story? Yes. This is because it popped into my head and wouldn't leave. It will be updated as I get more ideas, but doesn't take first priority. This takes place after National Treasure and but before the whole Don't Say A Word thing. The plot used in Don't Say a Word will only have a vague appearance because I am taking it and shaping it for my purposes. I do not intend to massacre either of these fine pieces of work and do not intend to make a profit off of this. None of the characters from the original movies (i.e. Ben Gates, Abigail Chase-Gates, Riley Poole, Dr. Nathan R. Conrad, Jessie Conrad, Aggie Conrad, Patrick Koster, Ian Howe, Shaw, etc.) belong to me. Though I wouldn't mind, I don't claim ownership. However, the Gates' little girl (Emily Roseanna Gates) and any other characters you don't recognize are property of me. If any of you are not appreciative of stories with original characters, you can turn back now, or give my original character a chance. I will try to make her very non-Mary-Sue-ish. For the record, I am kind of twisting the end of National Treasure (GASP!). I was unhappy that they killed Shaw, so I have resurrected him with my supernatural author powers MWA HA HA! (well, actually, he's only resurrected in my mind, but just humor me.) For those of you who are unfamiliar with the plot of Don't Say A Word, visit the internet movie database and look it up if you are curious. It's too difficult to explain without going into major detail. Be expecting twists and turns with the different characters. Without further ado, I give you the prologue._

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**Prologue**

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Ian rested his head against the wall. He had been in here for what seemed like eternity and he was bored. He knew that Shaw had been in the hospital with some injuries he had sustained in his fall. Luckily he had only fallen down a short ways. Better that than all the way down. He sighed as a guard came up to his cell. 

"Oi! Howe. You've got a visitor," he said. Ian quirked an eyebrow, intrigued. His men had dispersed and he told them he didn't want them contacting him while he was in jail. After all he had managed to take most of the heat for their fiasco. He got up as the guard unlocked his cell and led him down the hallway to the room where visitors were received. He sat down at one of the little windows and glanced at the phone. Across from him was an empty seat, but it didn't remain vacant for long. A tall man with dark blonde hair to the point of almost being brown sat down across from him. He took off a pair of sunglasses and looked at Ian with slate-blue eyes. Ian looked confused as the man took off his jacket and picked up the phone. Ian took his phone as he looked at the man.

"Patrick?"

"Ian," he said. "Long time, no see."

"I thought you were dead," Ian said.

"Did you now?" he asked, a smirk flickering across his features. "It's different being on the other side of the glass, isn't it?"

"Why are you here?" Ian asked, fury shaking his words.

"Relax. I'm here to get you out," he said, slipping a sheet of paper to him through the small hole. Ian took it and glanced at him. Patrick nodded and Ian opened it. There were only a few short lines of text in messy handwriting.

_Thursday at 9 o'clock a man by the name of Max will come as your visitor. He will have more instructions straight from me. He will also have a cell phone for you. I will call you at approximately 9:30, as I hope by then, you will be out._

Ian looked up at him.

"Why?" Patrick laughed.

"You don't think I'd let my little brother sit here in jail and rot, do you?" he said. Ian smirked.

"Younger only by two minutes," he said. Patrick smiled and got up, retrieving his coat after he put the phone on the hook. The guard came a few moments after he left and led him back to his cell. Ian now had thoughts buzzing around in his head. _Why after all these years?_

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_Well, there you have the prologue, short and sweet. Suggestions as to where the treasure should be are appreciated. Please review. No flames please, but constructive criticism welcomed._


	2. Chapter 1

_Hey, this is the next chapter. As always, I don't own the charries. Hope you enjoy this. In response to why he was angry, more details later. Their relationship has never been that good as is shown somewhat in this chapter. Enjoy_

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**Chapter 1**

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**Doctor Nathan Conrad removed his coat as he entered the prison facility. It had begun to snow lightly, and as such, he was a little damp. He checked in with the front desk, who provided him with an escort. He hated these prison runs. He was actually supposed to be off now, but the other prison runner had gotten into an accident. His escort led him down a tiny hallway toward a massive room. He was nearly there when a man with dark blonde hair and two escorts came around a corner unexpectedly. He ran into him. 

"Excuse me, Sir," Nathan said, nodding his head. The man looked at him.

"S'alright," he said. Nathan could discern neither anger nor amusement in his voice. They both continued on their way. Nathan shook his head and entered the room, where a young man was sitting.

"So, what seems to be the problem, Mr. Whitman?"

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Ian let his escorts take him to what he assumed was the back way to the visitor's room. He was quite shocked, however, when they met a man standing in the middle of the hallway. He wore the uniform of a prison that Ian wasn't familiar with. The man checked his watch. 

"You're late," he muttered.

"Yeah, well, we had other things we had to do," one of the escorts said.

"Just hand him over," the man said, taking Ian's arm roughly. The guards exchanged glances, but returned to their posts when they were sure Ian would not resist. They had little to fear of his rebellion. He was too confused to really register what was going on. _What had happened to his brother? Had he abandoned him? Had he really ever intended to get him out of jail?_ He allowed himself to be led to a truck which was waiting. He got into the back, followed by the man who had escorted him out. He closed the truck door. Ian leaned back. He received another shock when the man began taking off his handcuffs. When Ian was free, the man opened a hidden door and got into the driver's seat. Without a word, he drove away from the prison, as if he had done this multiple times. He motioned for Ian to come up to the passenger seat when they had gotten out of range of the police. Ian did so.

"Who are you?" Ian asked.

"Max," he said. "I have instructions from your brother." He motioned to the glove compartment. "Open that. There should be a cell phone and another note." Ian opened the glove compartment and, sure enough, the cell phone and the note were there. Ian opened the note.

_I have a proposition for you. Max is waiting for your decision on whether you wish to hear me out or if you want to go to the flat. P.K._

Just as he finished reading the note, the cell phone rang. He picked it up.

"Hello."

"Good, all went well," Patrick's voice came from the other line. "I'm assuming you've read my note. So what is your decision?" There was a long pause.

"I suppose I can hear you out."

"Good. I'll see you in ten minutes." With that, he hung up the phone. Max turned down a back road, his headlights casting eerie shadows on the ground and in the trees lining the dirt road. They drove for awhile before a massive, decrepit barn loomed before them. Max stopped right in front of the doors, the headlights on the truck illuminating a man standing in the shadows. Max got out and shook hands with him. Ian followed, still a bit confused. Upon closer inspection, he found the mysterious figure to be Shaw. He smiled and Shaw clapped him on the shoulder.

"Still alive after all that prison food?" he said. Ian laughed.

"It's better than that crap you made during the treasure escapade," he said. Max cleared his throat as he threw open the door. A cloud of dust floated out as they were greeted with a blast of stale air. Max motioned them both inside. They both stepped into the dark building, their footsteps echoing ominously. Max closed the doors, leaving only the light from the flashlights to light up the building. Suddenly, the flame from a lighted flickered into existence. A cigarette was lit and the flame extinguished. There was a pause as Ian turned toward the glowing end of the cigarette. Max struck a match and lit an old lamp that they had salvaged. It allowed for a little illumination to see everyone a little better. Patrick, who had lit the cigarette, looked Ian over.

"You look well," he said. "They must have served you better stuff than the people served me last time I was in prison." Ian shrugged, trying not to let his brother sway his emotions one way or the other. He knew his brother was a master of making people do what he wanted and he could easily manipulate even the strongest willed people. He crossed his arms and took a puff from his cigarette. "You are here to hear my proposition, I assume."

"That and get some questions answered," Ian answered. Patrick laughed, a short barking sound.

"Still haven't changed," he said, taking another puff on his cigarette. "Shoot. I've got nowhere to be until five o'clock tomorrow morning." Ian leaned against a table that had been set up.

"Alright. Start off with why you got me out," he said. Patrick cast a sideways glance at Shaw.

"Your friend might be able to explain that a little better," he said. Ian looked at Shaw, who met his gaze.

"I knew you had a brother, so I tracked him down to get you out," he explained. "That's why it took a year."

"Yes," Patrick said. "I'm a hard man to find. When I heard my little brother was in jail, I couldn't allow him to stay in there. It took two weeks to plan everything out and bribe all the right people, but I got you out." He puffed on his cigarette. "Anything else?"

"I thought you were dead. Why didn't you contact me?" Ian asked. Patrick shrugged.

"Terrorism is a dirty job, but someone's got to do it. I figured it was for the best so you didn't get involved. It was only now that I found out that you were operating under the alias of Howe," he said. "Is that all?"

"For now," Ian said. Patrick nodded. "Now what was this proposition you wanted me to hear?" Patrick didn't answer him directly at first. He took another puff from his cigarette.

"Are you familiar with The Black Widow?" he asked.

"It's a spider," Ian replied simply. Patrick shook his head.

"It's more than that. The Black Widow is an obsidian spider, four and a quarter inches in diameter at the widest. Set into it is a ruby shaped like an hourglass," he explained.

"What's so special about it?" Ian asked, glancing at Shaw to gauge his reaction. He kept his face emotionless, but Ian knew him better than that. He was interested.

"This spider is the key to an unlimited supply of gold," he said.

"And you want me to get it for you," Ian said.

"Not at all," Patrick said, walking up to Ian. He was just a couple inches taller. "I wouldn't want to put you back in jail. Rather, I need you to help me gather the tools I need." Ian looked him over and saw the gleam in his brother's eyes that dared him to say no and see what happened. Ian sighed.

"I suppose I do owe you," Ian said. Patrick nodded in approval.

"Count me in," Shaw said.

"Excellent," Patrick said, a smirk playing across his features. "We set the plan in motion tomorrow." With that, he extinguished his cigarette.

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_Sorry for the evil cliffie. I promise to update soon, but not until I get three or more reviews for this chappie. So drop me a line. No flames plz, but constructive criticism is welcomed. _


	3. Chapter 2

_Well, this chapter was quite hard to write. I can only say that it must go downhill before it goes back up._

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**Chapter 2**

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Ben, all suited up for work, kissed an exhausted Abigail un the head. She roused from her light slumber. He smiled. 

"I'm sorry to wake you," he said. She smiled back.

"If you didn't the baby would have," she said, kissing him.

"I just wanted to let you know that I'm leaving for work," he said. She nodded. "You try to sleep a little more." He brushed the hair out of her face and kissed her forehead. "I love you, Abi."

"I love you too, Ben," she said. She yawned and turned over, attempting to fall asleep again. He watched her for a moment before leaving. She once again fell into slumber.

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About four hours later, she woke up to the baby crying. She got up and stretched momentarily before going over to her child. She cradled the baby girl close to her. She wasn't in need of a change, so she figured she must be hungry. She walked down into the kitchen and made a bottle for her baby. She smiled as the young girl reached out to take the bottle, though Abigail knew she wasn't strong enough to hold the bottle. She fed her when the bottle was to an appropriate temperature. She burped the baby and sat down on the couch, turning on the news but keeping the volume low. She watched her baby play and joined her on the floor after awhile. She cooed as the baby gurgled and laughed happily. 

After another few hours, the baby fell back asleep. Abigail picked her up and brought her back to her crib. She laid her in the crib and kissed her forehead. She smiled.

"Sweet Dreams, Emily," she said. She left the room, going back down to the kitchen where her cup of coffee was waiting for her. She took a sip of her coffee and looked contemplatively out the window.

"Hullo Abigail," came a voice from behind her. She turned around, dropping her mug. It shattered at the feet of a man she knew all to well. He did not react when she had dropped it, rather, he seemed amused by it.

"Shaw?" she asked, her face paling. She tried to move quickly, but he was quicker. He caught her as she passed him and he pulled a handkerchief out of his jacket pocket. He placed it over her face and Abigail inhaled. Almost immediately, she slipped out of consciousness.

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Ben walked in the door and waited for a moment to be greeted by his wife. When he was not, he became a little nervous. He walked into the living room and the dining room. He ventured into the kitchen and found Abigail's shattered coffee mug on the floor. The coffee was still warm, which meant that whatever had happened to her had happened very recently. He ran upstairs to find the baby fast asleep. His heartbeat only slowed momentarily before another thought came into his head. 

_Abigail would never leave the baby in the house alone…_ Ben picked up the cordless phone in his room and listened. The dial tone never came. He cursed.

"Hello?" he asked. There was no reply. "This is an emergency!" There was a laugh on the other end of the phone.

"Ya, I know," came the caller's voice. Ben was a bit taken aback.

"Ian!" he demanded. The voice on the other end laughed again.

"Not quite. What's your worst fear?" he asked. Ben's temper was rapidly rising.

"What did you do with Abigail!" Ben snarled.

"We have your wife. If you want to see her again, you come to the old condemned warehouse in town tonight at six o'clock sharp. Do you understand me?' the voice asked.

"Perfectly," Ben said.

"Now Ben," came the voice on the other line, "there are a couple of…rules that you must follow." Ben looked confused.

"Rules?"

"Rule one: You are to keep the cell phone on your bureau with you at all times," he said. Ben turned. He hadn't noticed the cell phone when he walked in. It was your generic brand with no specific markings. "I know what you're thinking," he continued. "Don't try it. Your wife will be dead by the time you hit the one in 911." Ben's though process was brutally derailed. "That was rule two. Rule three: You do not make demands. Bad things happen when you try to outfox the fox. Rule number four: you will not try to call or signal anyone. If you do, I will personally kill your wife, not because I want to, but because those are the rules. Do I make myself clear?" Ben was silent for a moment.

"Crystal," he said.

"Oh and Ben," he said. "Your little pal Riley…he needn't know what's going on. Terrible things can happen when people meddle in others affairs." With that the phone went dead.

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_So, lemme know what you think. I know this one's not the best, but I'm going to post the next chapter as soon as I can. And as soon as I get it written. Two reviews for the next chapter. No flames please. Constructive criticism welcomed. _


	4. Chapter 3

_This was a rather quick update. I wanted to redeem myself from that horrible last chapter. Not that this one's much better. It will start going uphill again with the next chapter, nearly written. Hope you enjoy this chapter even in the tiniest bit._

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**Chapter 3**

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Ben pulled up to the old warehouse at 5:52. His tires crunched on the gravel surrounding the decrepit building. He stepped out and saw another vehicle in plain sight. It was an SUV of sorts, light tan in color. He eyed it cautiously and took a mental note of the license plate number for further use if need be. He walked in through a door that was slightly ajar. With what little light found its way into the room, it was rather eerie. Cobwebs hung from the corners and mice scurried around. He jumped, though, when he heard footsteps behind you. He looked over his shoulder to see a man who was a couple of inches shorter than himself. He was glaring at Ben with his hands in his pockets. 

"Who are you?" Ben asked.

"That depends on if you're the man who called me earlier," he said. Been shook his head, making note that this was not the man that had called him. The man sighed. "My name is Nathan Conrad. My wife is around here somewhere." She came around a corner, stopping to look over Ben.

"Who…?" she started.

"My name is Benjamin Gates," he said. She nodded and walked over to her husband. He placed his arm around her waist.

"Aggie Conrad," she said. "What time is it?" Ben looked at his watch.

"5:59," he replied. They waited and it became six o'clock. As if on cue, the loudspeakers hanging on the wall came to life.

"Good evening gentlemen," came the voice from earlier. Aggie looked around. "And of course, good evening madam. I suppose you are wondering why you are here." Ben seemed a little uneasy and Nathan had a rather bold look in his eye. "Well, I can tell you that you are all here for the same reason. I have something dear to you and you have the means to get to something I want. You are professionals, so am I. If we do our jobs to the best of our abilities, by the end of this, it'll be like we never even knew each other." He said.

"What do you want!" Nathan shouted.

"Patience, my dear doctor," he said. There was a sound of papers shuffling. "You have patient at the Bridgeview Psychiatric Hospital by the name of Ami Lynn McFarlane, do you not?"

"Yes…" he replied. He had only received her as a patient last night, so he didn't understand how this man knew.

"Good. You have until…" there was a pause here where one could only assume he looked at his watch, "8:30 tomorrow morning to get her into your custody and on a plane to Florida. Do you understand?" Nathan looked at his wife.

"I understand," he said.

"Now, Ben," he said. Ben faced the loudspeaker. "You are to go with them to Florida. Your job is to get Riley to take care of your daughter for the time being. Emily was it?" Ben seemed a little at unease.

"Yes," he said.

"Excellent. You're a smart man. I'm sure you can accomplish this without arousing suspicion," he said. "I expect to see you all in Florida tomorrow. Arrive at Palm Beach International Airport." The white noise from the loudspeaker cut out. Nathan turned to Ben.

"Well, I suppose this puts us in the same boat," he said. "So here's the plan…"

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Ben stopped off at the house with Nathan and Aggie. The clock on the stove read 8:19. They were currently sitting at the kitchen table and Ben was searching for the phone number of Riley's new apartment. He found it after much trouble of digging through many different stacks of phone numbers. He quickly dialed the number. They didn't have too much time to spare. 

"Hello?"

"Riley."

"Ben!"

"Riley, I need to as you a favor," he asked.

"Shoot."

"I need you to take Emily for a little while."

"Why?"

"Because Abi and I are going on a second honeymoon," he said, that being the first thing that popped into his head.

"I don't have any experience with babies!" Riley complained.

"Riley, I need you to do this for me."

"Fine."

"Good, can you pick her up in about a half-hour?"

"WHAT!"

"We're leaving soon, like tonight."

"Be right over." With that they both hung up. He looked at Aggie and Nathan.

"Well, Riley's coming to pick up my daughter, Emily, in just a little bit," he said.

"May I see your daughter?" Aggie asked. Ben smiled.

"Of course," he said. He ran upstairs and took his daughter from her cradle and brought her down after throwing some clothes in her little suitcase they had bought. Aggie took her and cradled her closely. Within moments, the doorbell rang. Ben took the baby from Aggie and brought her to the door. Riley was standing there. Ben gave Emily to him. "Sorry Riley, I can't chat right now," he said. "If you have any questions, call me on my cell." Riley was a bit shocked.

"Euh…ok…" He took the sleeping child to his car and placed her into the baby carrier that Ben had left at his house, seeing as how often they were visiting him and helping him move in. Ben, however, returned to the kitchen.

"Time to set the plan in motion."

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_So, this was chapter 3 and I hope it didn't disappoint you guys as much as it disappointed me. And just because Riley's not going on the hunt doesn't mean he's not going to play a major role. And just because Abigail has been kidnapped doesn't mean that she won't be important. In fact, these two characters are very essential. You'll get your first glimpse of Ami (the character that has the job that Elizabeth Burrows had in Don't Say a Word) in the next chapter. _

_So yeah, let me know what you think of this chapter. No flames please but constructive criticism welcomed. 2-3 reviews for the next chapter. _


	5. Chapter 4

_Greetings all. This chapter may be a little short, but its not as bad as the others IMHO. I hope you guys enjoy it. Oooh! Special thanks to **DarkStarr** and **DragonsBane** for helping me to come up with the idea for Ami. I hope she's not too Mary-Sue-Ish_

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**Chapter 4**

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It was around midnight when the two cars pulled into the parking lot at Bridgeview Psychiatric hospital. Nathan stepped out with Ben and they walked into the security check in. One of the guards stopped him. 

"Good evening, Dr. Conrad. You can go, but I can't allow your friend here to go in," he said. Nathan leaned over the desk.

"He's a family member of Ami McFarlane, Michael. I'd like to think that he might be able to trigger something," he said. He glanced at Ben who was looking around the room. The guard also looked at him.

"Sir," he said. Ben looked at him and also leaned over the desk. "What is your name?"

"Paul Brown," he said. Michael began looking through the documentation.

"I don't see a Paul Brown in her list of contacts," he said.

"Well, I can understand why," Ben said. Nathan looked at him, hoping he could bluff his way through this. "I'm not very closely related."

"Oh? And how are you related?"

"I'm her second cousin through marriage's mother's aunt's cousin's father's great grandson's wife's uncle twice removed on her father's side," he said. Michael looked at him as if trying to process it.

"I didn't understand half of that, but I understand that you probably wouldn't be documented," he said. "However, since you are not on her list of contacts, I cannot let you in." Nathan sighed.

"Look, can't you look the other way just this once? I'll be responsible for whatever happens to him while behind those doors," he said. Michael sighed.

"Only for you, Doctor Conrad. It's no skin off my nose," he said, opening the gates. Nathan and Ben walked through. When they were out of sight, they began to search for the door.

"So what is wrong with this girl?" Ben asked.

"She doesn't talk and she's blind, temporarily at least," Nathan answered.

"Temporarily blind?" Ben asked.

"Yes, our resident medical examiner said that her blindness is just a psychosomatic response to the trauma that she experience before she came here," Nathan said. Ben nodded. "She's got some other issues, but we haven't uncovered them yet." At last, they came to it and walked in. The girl's head turned when the door opened, but she didn't seem to be looking at them.

She was rather tall, taller than Nathan anyhow. She had dull blue eyes that seemed to have all the life drained from them. She had long, brown hair that looked like she hadn't combed it in awhile. It fell to her shoulders.Her skin was pale and she was very thin. Her features were sharp, but she had a round-ish face.

"Good evening, Ami," he said. She cocked her head. "I'm Dr. Conrad, do you remember me?" he asked. She nodded. "I've brought a friend as well," he said. He nudged Ben in the ribs.

"Ow! Oh, hello Ami. My name is Ben," he said. She didn't seem to react. Ben noticed that in her arms was a stuffed dog that seemed to have been worn down through many years of existence. She stroked the ears absentmindedly.

"Ami," Nathan said. "I need you to come with me and Ben." He offered his hand within her arm's reach. She raised her arm and searched for his hand. She latched onto it and kept a firm hold on her dog with the other arm. Nathan led her out and down the hall towards a fire escape. He helped her out the window and she stood there on the fire escape. "Can you stay here for a moment?" She nodded and shivered in the cold night air. Ben took pity on her. He took off his sports jacket and he placed it over her shoulders before putting on his own jacket. They walked down by the security desk.

"Did it work?" Michael asked.

"Not really," Nathan said. Michael's smirk said it all. "Well, I'll see you later." He was just about out the door when he turned. "Oh and Michael. Tell whoever it is that's in charge of scheduling that I am taking an indefinite vacation. My wife is ill." Michael saluted.

"Will do," he said, going back to reading whatever it was he was reading. They walked out and doubled around to the fire escape. She stood exactly where they had left her. Nathan looked at Ben.

"You're a bit younger than me. You go up and get her," he said.

"She trusts you more than me," Ben argued. Nathan shook his head.

"Just go get her. We have no time for this. Besides, if she falls, I doubt I'll be able to do anything," he said. Ben grumbled and began climbing the fire escape. He got up next to her.

"Ami," he said. She cocked her head. He held his hand out as Doctor Conrad had done, keeping it within her reach. She made no move to take it. Ben was getting frustrated. "Come on. Take my hand," he said. She reached her hand out to grab his. She latched on and immediately let go, shying away from him. Nathan looked on with fascination. There was something about Ben's hands that scared her.

"Ami!" he called up. She moved towards the sound of his voice, nearly falling down the stairs. Ben caught her however. She struggled against him. "Ami! It's Ben. It's the man you just met. He's your friend!" She calmed down a little bit and Ben set her down.

"Alright," he said. He began walking leading her very carefully. After all, if he was going to be working with this girl, he really needed to gain her trust. She followed his directions, though she was very wary of him. They at last reached the ground. Ben helped her down and she stretched her arm out, searching for Dr. Conrad. He walked over and took her hand. He brought her over to his Rover and she got in, fumbling with the seat belt. Nathan stayed outside for a moment with Ben, discussing their next course of action. Their conversation was cut short, however, when the alarm went off in the building. Ben swore. They both got in their cars and drove out of the parking lot. They turned and headed in opposite directions to the airport where Aggie was waiting.

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_So, I leave it up to the reviewers. Should they run into a spot of trouble before they meet up? Or should they get there without too much effort and have the trouble come on their way to Florida? Anyway, let me know what you think of the chapter. As before, no flames please. Constructive criticism welcomed._


	6. Chapter 5

_Alright, alright. I know I haven't been here in awhile, but I'm back now. I hope that you all can forgive me. I've been really busy and have had massive writer's block. I hope this chapter at least starts to chip away at my writer's block. Enjoy._

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**Chapter 5**

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Agent Sadusky stepped from a squad car in front of Bridgeview Psychiatric hospital. He pulled his coat around him a bit more. The chill was getting to him. He opened the door on the other side of the car and out stepped a woman much younger than himself. She wore a black leather coat and brownish turtleneck. Her russet hair was pulled back into a bun and her soft brown eyes scanned the area. 

"This is the scene of the crime?" she asked.

"Yes, Detective," Agent Sadusky said. "A patient has escaped." She looked at him.

"Sadusky, you wouldn't have brought me all the way out here at…" here she looked at her watch, "one o'clock in the morning if you believed that this patient had escaped the nuthouse by himself."

"Her, actually," Agent Sadusky corrected. She rolled her eyes.

"Whatever," she muttered. She looked up at the building. "So what's so special about this woman? I mean obviously there's got to be something otherwise we wouldn't have the FBI on the case." Agent Sadusky shifted, once again readjusting his coat.

"She is a witness to a very important case, but until her condition improved, she would not be a credible witness. She has resided here for the majority of her 18 years," he said.

"So wait, she's just a kid?" she asked.

"Yes, and we believe somebody has her. Possibly the person that she could incriminate in her trial," he said. The woman sighed.

"Alright," she said, also pulling her coat around her and walking towards the building. "Let's get started. But you owe me one, Sadusky." He smiled.

"If you say so, Sandra," he said, following her.

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Abigail woke up, her head pounding and the world around her fuzzy. She lay still for a moment, trying to regain her senses. When at last the world came into sharper focus, she looked around. She was in a sparsely decorated room. There was a dresser next to her bed and a window on the other side of the room which let the moonlight shine in whenever it was not hidden behind clouds. Beneath the window was a desk where a young girl sat, reading or writing. Abigail couldn't tell which. 

"Where am I?" she asked. She sat up in bed, causing the mattress to groan with the sudden shift of weight. The girl turned around. She had sweet blue eyes and auburn hair. She smiled.

"Oh good, you're up," she said cheerfully. She shut the book in front of her and placed it in the front drawer of the desk. She walked over to the bed and sat on the end of it.

"Who are you?" Abigail asked.

"My name's Jessie," she said. "Your name is Abigail, right?"

"Yes," she said. "How'd you know?"

"I heard the men outside talking about you," she said. Abigail shook her head.

"Then it wasn't a dream," she said. Jessie shook her head. Abigail looked at her. "So where did you come from?" she asked.

"New York," Jessie answered. "My daddy works there. He helps people with mental problems." Abigail smiled.

"I see," she said. Just then the door on the other side of the room opened. Jessie quickly latched on to Abigail, who pulled her close to her. In through the door stepped a man that seemed familiar to her. He was tall with dark blonde hair. His slate-blue eyes regarded her, but no expression could be discerned from them.

"Ah, you've finally decided to grace us with your consciousness," he said, his hands in the pockets of a jacket that seemed to have been worn too much. She narrowed her eyes.

"What did you do with my husband and my daughter?" she growled, pulling Jessie closer to her.

"That doesn't matter," he said, pulling the chair from the desk over and sitting down on it, his arms resting on the back of the chair. "All that matters is that you don't screw things up for them. And of course," he said, a hint of a maniacal smile that caused Jessie to shiver crossing his features, "that they don't screw it up for you either."

"What do you mean?" Abigail asked.

"I don't think that's a suitable topic for discussion in front of children," he said, looking at Jessie. He pulled a cigarette case from inside his jacket and took one out, lighting it and placing both the lighter and the case back into his jacket. Abigail looked at him.

"When did you start smoking?" she asked.

"I don't believe that's any of your concern," he responded. There was no hostility or annoyance in his voice, rather it could be called a trace of impatience. "Now I do hope you realize that my purpose in coming here was not to entertain you with chitchat. Rather, I came in to tell you we are leaving in ten minutes."

"We're not leaving until Jessie and I have had some breakfast," she said. The man calmly took a puff on his cigarette and looked at her. His slate-blue eyes had now taken on an expression, but it was one that Abigail couldn't rightly name.

"Miss Chase…or rather, Mrs. Gates, I don't believe you are in a position to be demanding things," he said. Abigail looked at him, wondering what he meant. That was when her eyed fell on a rather suspicious looking lump near his belt. Abigail then understood. She was a hostage.

"I see," she said. "Well then, I suppose we should be getting ready then." He smiled, though it wasn't a true smile. It wasn't one of kindness, it was the smug smile of one who knew he had won.

"I'm glad you and I are on the same page now," he said. "You have…" he looked at his watch, "seven minutes. There will be an escort waiting outside the door." He got up and exited the room, the door clicking shut behind him. Jessie still clung tightly to Abigail. That wasn't the Ian she remembered…

* * *

Ben and Nathan made their way through the crowd with Ami attached to Nathan's hip. She refused to leave his side. They made their way to where Aggie was waiting for them. She shook her head and walked over. 

"Nathan, they don't have any more seats and I only have three tickets," she whispered. Ben shifted his glance.

"When's the next flight?" he asked.

"Not soon enough," she said. "We won't make it in time if we don't catch this flight." Ben looked around. After a moment, he smiled.

"Alright," he said. "You two take her and get on that plane. I've got an idea…"

* * *

_I know, I know. I just didn't know how to go from one to the other. Hey, you'll find out his "ingenious" plan next chappie. Please leave me a review. Constructive criticism welcomed and appreciated, but no flames please. _

_ERH_


	7. Chapter 6

_I apologize for the lateness and shortness of this chapter, but I got stuck and I needed to stop it where I did. Hope you all enjoy it._

* * *

**Chapter 6**

* * *

Riley sat at the small table in his apartment, Emily's baby carrier next to his untouched microwaveable dinner. The television was on in the background just loud enough to give him some background noise but allow him to hear everything being said on his favorite show. He was feeding her small spoonfuls of Gerber. He hadn't gotten around to getting a highchair for her yet, and actually, he wasn't planning on it. He had hoped that Ben and Abigail would be back by now, not that he was entirely sure that they were on a second honeymoon as he had said. 

However, he just continued to feed Emily. She cooed and gurgled, causing a smile to cross Riley's features. He supposed kids weren't totally bad if all (or the majority) of them were like Emily. There suddenly came an announcement.

"_We interrupt our regularly scheduled broadcast to bring you this urgent news bulletin. This is Jennifer Baker reporting live from Washington, D.C. where just yesterday, a convict escaped from one of our federal prisons,_" the brunette news reporter on the television said. Riley looked up, intrigued. She continued her broadcast. "_Police highly doubt that he could have escaped unaided. Officials at the prison are being questioned. Police assure us that he will be found soon. You, the American people, have the opportunity to help bring down this felon. If you have any information pertaining to the whereabouts of this man_," here it changed to a picture, "_then call our hotline at 800-555-5555._" Riley nearly dropped the spoon he was holding above Emily. The picture was none other than that of Ian Howe. Riley suddenly became very nervous. It wasn't everyday a wanted man escaped and could be gallivanting in your neighborhood, after all. The report switched to another person, a tall, dark haired man this time.

"_Another important news bulletin from the parking lot of the Bridgeview Psychiatric Hospital. Police report that around midnight last night, a patient escaped. If you have any information of this woman's whereabouts,_ (here there flashed a picture)_ call our toll free hotline at 800-444-4444,_" he said, his voice smooth. "_We now return you to your regularly scheduled broadcast._" Riley looked at Emily, whose head was cocked as though questioning why he had not given her the spoon that hovered above her. It was too much coincidence, Ian escaping, Ben leaving…heck, even the girl from the psycho ward could be wrapped up in this. He sighed.

"Your daddy might be in trouble," he said, "again," he added as an afterthought. He picked up the phone and dialed Ben's cell phone number.

* * *

Ben was roused from a sound sleep when he heard "Castaway" by Green Day play rather loudly. He allowed himself a moment to readjust to his surroundings before answering his phone. 

"Hello?" he asked groggily.

"Ben?" came Riley's voice on the other end.

"Riley?"

"Where are you?" Riley asked. Ben looked around at where he was, still groggy.

"In the backseat of a car," he answered. There was a long pause. Ben remembered what he had told Riley and realized how Riley must have taken it. He shook his head. "What do you need?"

"Ben," Riley said seriously, though there was a trace of amusement in his voice. "Are you at an airport?" he asked suddenly.

"In an airplane, actually," he said, yawning.

"Ian's escaped," Riley said. There was a pause. "But I'm sure you knew that."

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"You and Abi aren't on your honeymoon are you?" he asked, certain of the answer.

"OF course we are," Ben defended, though Riley saw right through his bluff.

"Ben, did Ian blackmail you into doing this?"

"No," Ben said, this time truthfully. "Look Riley, this isn't what you think."

"Where's Abigail? Tell me the truth!" Riley demanded. Ben sighed.

"I don't know. You're not even supposed to know that we're not together," he said. He tried to redirect the subject. "How's Emily?"

"Fussing because I'm on the phone and not feeding her, but Ben, if Abi's in danger, I want to help you!" he said.

"Riley, I can't get you involved," Ben said, trying to keep his friend safe. "Don't call me again." He hung up the phone. This was getting complicated.

* * *

_Well, that's it for this chapter. Please review and tell me what you think. I can't make it better (or get any ideas winkwink) if you all don't give me feedback. No flames please, but constructive criticism welcomed. _


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